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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. race — a contest
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. race — humankind
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — for spectators

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com